Trousers stretcher



Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TROUSERS STRETCHER Lloyd L. Selby, Denver, Colo.

Application May 8, 1945, Serial No. 592,585

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a trousers stretcher, and has for its principal object the provision of a light, easily operated and highly efficient stretcher for use in avoiding shrinkage during the pressing of the legs of trousers and slacks.

During the cleaning operation, clothing formed of certain materials shrinks both laterally and longitudinally, and if pressed in their shrunken condition will be too small for use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which can be inserted into the legs of the garment, by means of which lateral expansion force may be applied while the garment leg is being pressed in the presser, and is so constructed that any desired degree of expansive force may be resiliently and uniformly applied throughout the entire length of the leg to stretch the latter to its original size before pressing.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved trouser leg stretching device in the partially expanded position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, partially in section, illustrating the device in the contracted position; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections therethrough, taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, Fig. 2.

The improved stretcher employs a first curvated stretching arm I0, to which a second straight stretching arm II i-s adjustably attached. 'Ihe arms IIJ and II are preferably-formed from nonmetallic material such as plastic or wood. A resilient, flexible, metallic rod extends diagonally between the members I and, I I. The rod is bent to form a terminal eye I2, a spring rod I3, an intermediate eye I4, and lan actuating lever I5.

The terminal eye I2 rests in a metal lined socket I6 in the member I I, there being a suitable pivot bolt l1 upon which the eye l2 is mounted. The intermediate eye I4 extends into a metal lined socket I8 in the member I0 and around a similar pivot bolt I9.

The pivot bolt I'I is positioned at the mid-point of the member I I so that it may freely tilt thereon and la groove 23 is provided therein to receive the rod I3 when the device is collapsed. The pivot bolt I9 is positioned adjacent one extremity of the member I0, the latter projecting therebeyond to form a hand hold 23.

A chain 2| is permanently attached to the extremity of the hand hold 20, the point of attachment being covered by means of a suitable cover plate 22. The links of the chain are suiciently open so that they may be slipped over the extremity of the lever I5, a stop flange 24 being formed on thelatter to limit the onward movement of the links.

In use, the two members ID and II are inserted in the garment leg from the cuff extremity thereof. The hand hold 20 and the actuating lever l5 are gripped in the operators hand and squeezed together. This pressure flexes the spring rod i3, land the latter is locked in fthe flexed position by means of the link chain 2l, as shown in Fig. l.

It will be noted that, due to the tilting feature ofthe member H and the resilient flexibility of the rod I3, a uniform tension is placed throughout the length of the trouser leg, and as the latter stretches, the member II is maintained in snug contact therewith by flexing action of the flexible spring rod I3.

It is preferred to cover the rod I3 with a cloth sleeve 25 to prevent the steam from the presser from condensing thereon and dampening the garment.

While a speciiic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

A trousers leg stretcher comprising: an elongated curved stretching arm; a second straight stretching arm; a first pivot member at substantially the mid-point of said straight stretching arm; a second pivot member adjacent one extremity of said curved stretching arm; a resilient metallic rod; a terminal eye formed on one extremity of said rod and surrounding said first pivot member; an intermediate eye formed in said rod and surrounding said second pivot member, said rod and said curved stretching arm projecting beyond said second pivot member; and a connected series of links secured to the end of the projecting extremity of said curved stretching arm, said links being sufficiently open to selectively receive the end of the projecting extremity of said rod.

LLOYD L. SELBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date y 2,206,605 Greco et al. July 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 732,742 France Sept. 24, 1932 751,814 France Sept. 11, 1933 

